Houstonian 1993 - Student Life. 1993. Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries. University of Houston Digital Library. Web. December 9, 2016. http://digital.lib.uh.edu/collection/yearb/item/19121/show/18908.

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Item Description

Title

Student Life

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yearb_1993_021.jpg

Transcript

Out of 33,000 students, 1900 voted on the referendum. Eighty-five
percent of these people supported the
SMOKING BAN
Smokers fumed outside the Satellite as March 1 marked the first day
of the UH smoking ban.
The ban was introduced as a referendum last spring during the Students'
Association presidential elections. Out
of 33,000 students, 1900 voted on the
referendum. Eighty-five percent of these
people supported the smoking ban.
Rain pounded the campus when
more than 30 students huddled under
the three-foot canopy outside the Satellite. Showing their anger, the students
rebelled by blowing smoke into the restaurant from outside.
Eventually, they took their "rightful place" inside the old smokers' section of the cafeteria.
As the students entered the restaurant, some of them ripped down the
new no-smoking sign and burned it with
their cigarette lighters.
"When I was outside, I couldn't
study. Now I'm here and smoking and I
plan to study," said Farida Midni, a freshman international relations major.
Students questioned the importance of the ban as the Satellite management did nothing to enforce the new
policy.
"It's obvious they don't have the
ability to keep up this new policy. What
are they going to do, spend money on
people who can specifically police smokers?" asked Vanessa Johnson, a sophomore psychology major.
The new policy was meant to be
enforced by the supervisor of whichever
establishment smokers are caught in. If
a student does not respond, the student's
name will be sent to the Dean of Students office. At this point, the case
"The boycott
begins to
morrow,
March 2.
would be heard by a student judiciary
committee.
"There isn't really any clear punishment. A student can be heard by a
student board," said Russell Hruska, Students' Association president.
"I guess in the worst situation you
could ultimately be expelled," he added.
The students, who remained outside the Satellite, discussed plans of action as cigarette butts formed dirty piles
directly outside two of the four entrances
to the restaurant.
"The boycott begins tomorrow,
March 2. They took away our rights-
why should we give them our money?"
asked Thalia Christy, a junior interior
design major.
Bill Wentz, UH campus dining ser-
llGV tOOK v^ce manager, said a boycott would only
punish employees and business people.
"We have no authority over this. Students should take it up with the administration or sit in front of the Board of
Regents. The only thing we do is ask
people to stop smoking," he said.
Other students, who did not completely agree with a full-boycott, offered
alternatives for campus eating areas.
"We ought to install a new vent
system, or a fan system. They could take
a collection from the smokers to build
it," said Joe Maines, a senior music major.
"This polarizes students. I would
like to associate with non-smokers," he
added. -Rivka Gewirtz
away our
rights-why
should we
give them
our money f
ngry smokers outside of the Satellite complained
b their rights were taken away. The smoking ban went
into effect on March 1. Photo by Michael W. Smith.
a;
26%**Student Life